Means and method of treating strands



April 25, 1939. w. E. MAHO NEY I MEANS AND METHOD OF TREATING STRANDS Filed Feb. 8, 1957 Patented Apr. 25, 1939 mane MEANS AND METHOD OF TREATING STRANDS William E. Mahoney, Pawtucket, R. I., assignor to Premier Thread Company, a corporation of Rhode Island Application February 8, 1937, Serial No. 124,607

10 Claims.

The invention is directed to improvements in yarn or thread treatment and is concerned particularly with the doubling or twisting of two or more strands of material having hydroscopic 5 properties, i. e., which absorbs moisture to a considerable degree. The mentioned strands being hydroscopic readily absorb considerable moisture and under such conditions it is not possible to twist or double the said strands into a satisfac- 10 tory yarn or thread unless great care is. taken in maintaining the proper room humidity. Such a practice has been found to be expensive and impractical.

As will be hereinafter more fully described, the 1 invention is specifically disclosed as including the passage of the aforementioned strands over a heated pipe or roll which may be located between bobbins from which the strands may be drawn and the doubling or twisting mechanism which is 20 conveniently shown as consisting of a ring and ring traveler. The pipe or roll may be heated in any convenient manner as by steam passing through the pipe or roll under pressure. Experience has shown that with the diameter of the pipe or roll as illustrated in the drawing the strands are sufficiently dehydrated when the steam is under pressure of approximately 75 pounds. Obviously the necessary pressure will depend upon the length of heated surface contacted by the strands and the time during which the strands are in contact with the heating pipe or roll in their passage to the twisting mechanism from the source of supply. Furthermore, while, for purposes of illustrating one convenient methd of dehydrating the strands, steam heated pipes or rolls have been disclosed, it is obvious that other heating means may be employed, e. g. by electricity, gas, or any other known means of heating.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a view in elevation showing a. twisting frame conveniently shown as of the Atwood type to which the invention is applied;

Fig. 2 is a detail view in perspective of the a heated pipe or roll; and

Fig. 3 is a detail view in section.

The twisting frame has associated therewith the usual motor 2 having a belt 3 for driving the spindles upon which the usual bobbins or spools 4 are mounted. At 5 is shown the usual vertically reciprocating ring carrier frame having a. ring 6 and a traveler 1 through which the twisted or doubled thread or yarn 8 passes to be wound upon the spool or bobbin At the upper portion of the frame is shown an arm 9 fastened to a plate iii carried by the uprights of frame I, one such upright being illustrated at H. Spools or bobbins l2 are supported for rotary movements on the arm 9, a strand l3 being wound on each 60 of the said bobbins, said strands l3 being of socalledartificial silk or of material having hydroscopic properies. The strands is then pass around a tube l2 carried by the machine frame and over the heated roll of pipe I4 presently to be described. From. the pipe 14 the strands l3 pass through eyelets l5 which are conveniently supported on the frame in any desired manner and from there the strands l3 pass over a sleeve l5 freely rotatable on a shaft H, the sleeve l6 serving to maintain the strands properly separated. The tube l2 and eyes l5 are offset with respect to the pipe M, as shown in Fig. 3, to defiect the strands l3 and cause them toengage about 120 degrees, more or less, of the circumference of the pipe Hi. The strands I3 then 15 pass through an eyelet I8 conveniently supported on the frame of the machine which eyelet causes these strands to be drawn together in a more or less uniform strand which, how'- ever, is not twisted, the strands remaining more or less parallel to one another.

The combined thread or yarn then takes a few turns around a positively driven roll I!!! and over a grooved bar l9 supported as shown. The grooves in bar l9 permit the combined strands r to engage the driven roll at spaced points. The positively driven r011 l9 effects the drawing of the separate strands l3 from their respective bobbins l2, which, while not restrained from turning freely as by spring tension, act somewhat to retard the free passage of the strands l3 due to the weight of bobbins or spools l2 themselves. From the roll Hi the yarn or thread 8 passes through an eyelet 2! attached to the machine frame and from there the said thread or yarn 8 passes through the traveler l and the twisted yarn or thread 8 is then wound upon the spool 4 in the usual manner.

It will be understood that the mechanism just described is duplicated at several points along the frame, a battery of spools or bobbins 4 being driven by the belt 3.

As illustrating one embodiment of the invention, the pipe or roll I 4 is shown as being located immediately below the supply spools I2, however, 5 the heating means, whether it be of the type shown or of other construction, may be positioned at any place so that it engages and im parts suflicient heat to the strands to drive off the excess moisture. Furthermore, the heat may be applied to the thread or yarn 8 adjacent to the ring 6. If other forms of twisting or doubling frames be used the position of the heating element may be changed, e. g., if strands or yarns move upwardly as from a fly or other twisting apparatus the said heating element may (although not necessarily) be positioned adjacent to such fly or other frame.

When a pipe such as M is utilized for the purpose of this invention and wherever located along the passage of the strands l3 or thread 8, it is essential that the strands E3 or thread 8 be maintained in close contact with the pipe 14 or at least in sufficiently close proximity to the heated pipe or other element 54 to receive sufficient heat to effect the desired purpose, namely, to remove excess moisture from the strands R3 or thread 8. In Fig. 3 the strands 8 are shown as, more or less, passing around the pipe or other element Hi to increase the curved or other surface contact between the strands 8 or the said pipe or other element I i. As a convenient means for maintaining the strands in the position shown in Fig. 3, the pipe or other element I4 is positioned somewhat outwardly of the tube l2 and eyelets I 5, as a consequence of which the strands 8 contact a greater portion of the surface of the pipe or other heated element M.

The pipe M which extends along the battery of strands I3 pertaining to each of a plurality of spools or bobbins 4, is conveniently shown as supported by a bar 22 by means of an extension M of the pipe Q4. The bar 22 connects the two uprights of the machine frame, and on the pipe extension M, immediately above the said, bar 22 is conveniently located a valve 23 by means of which the supply of the steam, if steam be used, may be varied and controlled, the steam passing into the pipe extension M in the direction of the arrow 24.

As the surface of the pipe I4 is likely to rust and otherwise provide a more or less rough exterior, it is desirable to cover the pipe Id at the place over which the strands I3 travel with other and suitable material. As an example, the pipe is is shown as covered with a sleeve 25 consisting of a band clamped around the pipe M and having more or less radial extensions 26. Screws or other fastening means 27 pass through the radial extensions 26 and serve to clamp the sleeve 25 in place on the pipe I l.

The pipe i4 itself may be of Monel or other smooth metal, in which case a separate clamp 25 such as illustrated is unnecessary,

The sleeve 25 may be of brass, galvanized iron or other suitable material but preferably of Monel metal, the rust-proof properties of which render the same especially suitable for the purposes of this invention.

From the preceding description it will be evident that the heating element may act upon the strands individually as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, or may act upon the combined strands whether such combined strands are twisted or travel in close parallel relationship.

In the preceding description, the parts and combinations thereof have been describedin detail for illustrative purposes, but such detailed description is not intended to limit the invention to the precise details of construction or combina tions thereof which are disclosed. It is especially noted that, as stated in the foregoing description, the heating unit employed or method of heating employed or location of the heating means with respect to the passage of the strands from the spools 12 to the winding spools l may be varied so long as sufficient heat is imparted to the strands to remove excess moisture.

I claim:

1. A method of doubling strands having excess moisture therein including drawing the strands from a source of supply and doubling the same, and heating the strands prior to doubling and thereby removing the excess moisture so that the said strands may be effectively doubled.

2. A method of doubling strands having excess moisture therein including drawing the strands from a source of supply and doubling the same, and heating the strands between the source of supply and the doubling and thereby removing the excess moisture so that the said strands may be effectively doubled.

3. A doubling mechanism having a strand supply for separate strands and means for doubling the strands, and means operatively positioned to act upon the strands before said strands are doubled into a yarn or thread, said means including a heating element positioned closely adjacent to the said strands to remove excess moisture therefrom.

4. A doubling mechanism including a source of strand supply and means for doubling the separate strands, in combination with a heating element in contact with the strands, so as to remove the excess moisture from the said strands prior to the doubling thereof.

5. A doubling mechanism including a source of strand supply and means for doubling the separate strands, in combination with a heating element having a curved surface in contact with the strands, so as to remove the excess moisture from the said strands prior to the doubling thereof.

6. A doubling mechanism for strands including bobbin supports for separate strands and means for doubling the same, means positioned between the source of supply and the doubling means for drawing the strands from the source of supply, and heating means positioned between the source of supply and the said drawing means acting upon the strands to impart heat thereto and thereby remove excess moisture from the strands so that the said strands may be efiectively doubled.

7. A doubling mechanism including a source of strand supply and means for doubling the separate strands, in combination with a steam heated pipe in contact with the strands, so as to remove the excess moisture from the said strands prior to the doubling thereof.

8. A doubling mechanism including a source of strand supply and means for doubling the separate strands, in combination with a steam heated pipe having a curved surface in contact with the strands, so as to remove the excess moisture from the said strands prior to the doubling thereof.

9. A doubling mechanism for strands including bobbin supports for separate strands and means for doubling the same, means positioned between the source of supply and the doubling means for drawing the strands from the source of supply, and a steam heated pipe positioned between the source of supply and the said drawing means acting upon the strands to impart heat thereto and thereby remove excess moisture from the strands so that the said strands may be effectively doubled.

10. A doubling mechanism for strands including bobbin supports for separate strands and means for doubling, means positioned between the source of strand supply and the doubling means for drawing the said strands from the source of supply, and heating means acting upon the said strands between the said source of strand supply and the said drawing means to impart heat thereto and thereby remove excess moisture from the said strands to facilitate doubling.

WILLIAM E. MAHONEY. 

